Licker-in gauge



Jan. 4, 1955 F. 6. JAMES 2,698,486

LICKER-IN GAUGE Filed March 23, 1954 2 Sheets-Shet l INVENTOR. F/em 6'.James,

WamW 10mm A7 TOR/VEYS Jan. 4, 1955 5, JAMES 2,698,486

LICKER-IN GAUGE Filed March 23. 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. F167)?6. (James,

United States Patent LICKER-IN GAUGE Flem G. James, Pineville, N. C.

Application March 23, 1954, Serial No. 418,004

2 Claims. (Cl. 33-182) This invention relates to gauge devices, and moreparticularly to an improved gauge device for use in setting thelicker-in roller of a carding machine in proper position with respect tothe adjacent elements of the machine.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedgauge device for use in setting the licker-in roller of a cardingmachine and for establishing the proper clearances between saidlicker-in roller and the main cylinder of the machine, the cylinderscreen, the licker-in screen, and the mote knives of the machine, thegauge device being simple in construction, being easy to use, andproviding an accurate setting of the licker-in roller.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved gauge devicefor use in setting the licker-in roller of a carding machine and forestablishing the proper clearances between the roller and the adjacentelements of the machine, said device involving inexpensive components,being easy to adjust, and enabling the user to rapidly and accuratelyset the licker-in roller to provide proper clearances between thelicker-in roller and the main cylinder of the machine, and enabling theuser to accurately set the back cylinder screen, the licker-in screen,and the mote bars of the machine to provide the desired clearances forthese elements.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross sectional View, taken transversely throughthe licker-in roller and a portion of the main cylinder of the machine,and associated elements adjacent thereto, the view being taken through aconventional carding machine and illustrating the locations where thegauge device of the present invention may be employed to provide properclearances.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical cross sectiontal view taken throughthe machine adjacent the bearings of a licker-in roller and showing agauge device according to the present invention mounted in the bearingsin place of the licker-in roller.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the gauge deviceemployed in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 ofFigure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 5--5 ofFigure 4.

Figure 6 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 6-6 ofFigure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken on the line77 of Figure 2 and illustrating the manner in which the gauge device isemployed to establish the proper clearances for the licker-in roller andother elements of the carding machine.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates a fragmentary portion ofa conventional carding machine designated at 11, the carding machinecomprising the main cylinder 12, the licker-in roller 13, the licker-inscreen 14, the back cylinder screen 15, the mote bars 16 and respectiveother conventional elements familiar to those skilled in the art.

As is well understood, it is highly important to have the properclearances between the licker-in roller 13 and the main cylinder 12, andbetween the licker-in roller 13 and the licker-in screen 14, between thelicker-in screen 14 and the mote bars 16, and between the surface of themain cylinder 12 and the back screen 15. As is well known to thoseskilled in the art, the elements 13, 14, 15 and 16 are provided withmeans for adjusting the same,

but other means must be provided to obtain the required clearances abovementioned.

In accordance with the present invention, a gauge device designatedgenerally at 17 is employed, said gauge device being adapted to bemounted in place of the licker-in roller 13. The gauge device 17comprises a shaft member 18 adapted to be mounted on the licker-inroller bearings 19, 19 in place of the licker-in roller. Secured on theshaft 18 substantially at the mid point thereof is the collar member 21to which is rigidly secured the externally threaded tubular arm 22, saidarm extending perpendicular to the shaft member 18. Slidably engaged inthe tubular arm 22 is the rod element 21 provided on its outer end witha contact shoe 23 which is arcuate in shape and which is concentric withshaft 18.

The arm 22 is formed with the opposed longitudinal slots 24, 24 throughwhich extend the opposite end portions of a transverse pin member 25secured in the rod element 21, the ends of the pin member 25 beingsecured in diametrically opposite bores provided in a ring element 26which is slidably engaged on the arm 22. Respective nuts 27 and 28 arethreadedly engaged on the arm 22 on opposite sides of the collar 26 forclamping the collar in an adjusted position along the slots 24, 24.

The rod member 18 is provided at its opposite ends with the respectvejournal bearing portions 29, 29 adapted to seat in the licker-in rollerbearings 19, 19 to support the shaft member 18 on the same axis as thaton which the licker-in roller 13 is supported.

In using the device, the licker-in roller 13 is first set to its properclearance with respect to the main cylinder 12, as by the use of a leafgauge 30 of the proper thickness, for example having a thickness ofseven thousandths of an inch. The licker-in roller 13 is then removedand the gauge device 17 is mounted on the licker-in roller bearings 19,19, in place of the licker-in roller. The contact shoe 23 is then placedadjacent the surface of the main cylinder 12 and the shoe 23 is thenadjusted by means of the leaf gauge 30 to have the same clearance withthe surface of the main cylinder as the licker-in roller 13 in theprevious step of the procedure. Adjustment of the shoe 23 isaccomplished by loosening the nuts 27 and 28, by moving the rod 21 sothat the shoe 23 engages the leaf gauge 30 with the leaf gauge heldagainst the surface of the main cylinder, and then by tightening thenuts 27 and 28 against the collar 26 to lock the adjustment of thecontact shoe 23.

The arm 22 is then swung over the adjacent areas of the elements 15, 14and 16 and the clearances of said adjacent elements are adjusted bymeans of the leaf gauge 30 so that the same clearance exists between thecontact shoe 23 and the adjacent areas of the back cylinder screen 15,the licker-in screen 14, and the mote bars 16, namely, a clearance ofseven thousandths of an inch, the thickness of the leaf gauge.

It will be thus apparent that the same radius arm is employed to providethe clearances for the elements 15, 14 and 16, and that this radius armis established by setting the gauge device to provide the desiredclearance between the contact shoe 23 and the surface of the maincylinder 12, said clearance being the same as that which was originallyset between the licker-in roller 13 and the surface of said maincylinder.

It will be readily apparent that the method above described requiresrelatively little time to carry out, due to the fact that it is notnecessary to remove the pulleys and bearing shrouds from the licker-inshafts.

By using the procedure of the present invention in conjunction with theimproved gauge device above described, the clearances between theelements 15, 14, 8: 16 and the licker-in roller 13, and between thelicker-in roller 13 and the surface of the main cylinder 12 can beaccurately set regardless of the condition of the licker-in cylinder,and regardless of the degree of wear of said cylinder. In previouslyemployed methods of setting the clearances, the diameter of a newlicker-in roller is employed as a reference value, which makes theoperation inaccurate when the licker-in roller has had considerablewear.

While a specific embodiment of an improved gauge device for use insetting the licker-in roller of a carding machine and for establishingthe proper clearances between said roller and the main cylinder of themachine, the cylinder screen, the licker-in screen, and the mote kniveshas been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understoodthat various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occurto those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that nolimitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope ofthe appended claims. 1

What is claimed is:

l. A gauge device for use in setting the licker-in roller of a cardingmachine and for establishing the proper clearances between saidlicker-in roller and the main cylinder of the machine, the cylinderscreen, the licker-in screen and the mote knives comprising a shaftmember adapted to be mounted on the licker-in roller bearings in placeof the licker-in roller, a tubular arm secured perpendicularly to saidshaft member, a rod element slidably mounted in said tubular arm, acontact shoe at the end of said rod element, said arm being formed withopposed longitudinal slots, pin means secured to said rod element andextending slidably through said slots, and means for clamping said pinmeans in an adjusted position alongsaid slots.

2. A gauge device for use in setting the licker-in roller of a cardingmachine and for establishing the proper clearances between saidlicker-in roller and the main cylinder of the machine, the cylinderscreen, the licker-in screen and the mote knives comprising a shaftmember adapted to be mounted on the licker-in roller bearings in placeof the licker-in roller, a tubular arm secured perpendicularly to saidshaft member, a rod element slidably mounted in said tubular arm, acontact shoe at the end of said rod element, said arm being providedwith opposed longitudinal slots, a collar element slidably engaged onsaid arm, pin means secured to said rod element and collar element andextending slidably through said slots, and respective nuts threadedlyengaged on the arm on opposite sides of said collar element for clampingsaid collar element in an adjusted position along said slots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,290,789 Schendel Jan. 7, 1919 2,054,530 Williams Sept. 15, 19362,155,562 Price Apr. 25, 1939 2,573,531 Arp Oct. 30, 1951

